Kennesaw, Georgia (CNN) -- It was the most famous high-speed chase of its day.

The pursuers didn't have flashing blue lights. They couldn't swing around and cut off the hijacked vehicle. But they didn't have to.

The locomotive General weighed more than 20 tons and was confined to a single iron track between Atlanta, Georgia, and Chattanooga, Tennessee. Its top speed was about 70 miles per hour, it had no brakes, and it eventually ran out of fuel.